Biting Words
by Elillierose
Summary: The group of four are off on a mountain when some heated words are exchanged. In the moment, Prompto feels the need to go for a walk to think things over, but things take a turn for the worse.


**Ironically this was written after someone I follow came out with their hypothermia story.**

 **Evilbunnygirl93 is their name, and if you haven't checked out their stories, you really should. ;3**

 **Also, this story was beta ready by SinikkavonWolperting (Fanfiction)**

* * *

His jacket was pulled more securely around him as another biting gust flared up his scarf and nipped at the exposed parts of his face. This was absolute torture and he was honestly beginning to miss the intense heat they they had become so used to. They were crossing over into one of the more unforgivable winters these lands had to offer, and the high altitude they were at wasn't helping the cause by any means. All Prompto wanted to do was find camp for the night and just curl up next to the fire for a few days, perhaps even weeks if he were allowed to do so. His foot slipped out from under him for the second time in the past hour, but he was able to keep his balance for the most part this time.

Unfortunately, said foot made contact with Noctis', which in turn caused him to slip a little, "Come on man, watch what you're doing will ya?" He suggested out of irritation. He had been like that for the past few hours. Touchy about the slightest of offenses.

"Sorry." Prompto mumbled under his breath, "I'll be more careful." He tightened his scarf to be a bit more snug, burying the lower of his face into the fleece material and stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Do try and show some caution." Ignis warned back to the other three, "The area is treacherous as it is, and with the ice on top of that, well let's just say it could be disastrous if you have any missteps."

"You don't say? And here I was planning on skipping the rest of the way up." Noctis replied sarcastically. Ignis only sighed to himself, refusing to allow the other to indulge in such trivial quarrels. Of course, he understood why the prince was so testy, and to be honest he didn't blame him. Had they known what they were in for when they agreed to retrieve a few items for a client, they would have put it off until a warmer day. The trek had been filled with nothing but slips and stumble all the way up, but they was no reason to take it out on the others. They were going through the exact same situation after all.

"Try sucking it up would you?" Gladio cut in, having enough of the prince's complaints.

"Hey, it wasn't my idea to do this, remember?" He retorted bitterly, shooting a glance over to Ignis. "If it were up to me, I would have passed on this little errand run."

"There is no denying that we need the money." Ignis calmly replied, "Supplies aren't free after all." He paused once he reached the top of their current slope when evened out into a rather reasonably sized plateau. "We should camp here for tonight. We still have a ways to go, and I do not wish to get caught in these conditions at night. We can leave early in the morning."

Gladio stepped forward and dropped his pack onto the ground as it sunk about half a foot into snow. Together, him and Prompto began clearing out the white fluff, creating a large enough space where a fire could reside with the minimal risk of going out. Fully prepared for this environment, he retrieved a few pieces of firewood that he brought along, not expecting to have come across any suitable flammable objects along the way.

Even with the thick gloves they wore, the chill still found a way through and was already spreading up their fingers. Promto drew his hands in, placing them under his arms in an attempt to get some sort of feeling back in them. "This cold is no joke, huh?" He asked lightly, trying to boost the mood a little bit and start some sort of conversation. "Gooooood thing we got some appropriate apparel at least." He continued when no one replied to his first statement.

"Can you go fetch the matches for me real quick?" Gladio asked, never taking his attention off his task.

"Yeah, no problem." Promtpo stood back up, rubbing his hands up and down his arms, desperate for some more warmth. Upon standing up, blood flowed more easily to his legs, causing a few pins and needles in the process. He had to stand still for a moment until the sensation subsided. He hugged himself tightly as he unwillingly trudged over to the pack, walking past Noctis on the way, who was busy setting up the tent. Or trying to set it up anyway. He walked on until he reached the pack and began rummaging around in it. Eventually his fingers ghosted over the small box.

Sliding the small cardboard container, he got stood back over and began to make his way back over to Gladio. He stopped to look at Noct when he once again failed to get another part to stay standing. With a quiet curse he bent down to pick the pieces back up. "Need any help?" Prompto asked in a reserved tone, twisting to the side to see the princes face.

"No I got it." Noctis replied, almost snapping in his frustration, drooping one of the pieces as he said it.

"Are you sure? It's alright if you do." The blonde offered with a friendly smile, "I don't mind lending a ha-"

"I said I don't need help." Noctis' outburst was enough to catch Gladio's attention, "I can handle this alright? Go bother someone else." Noctis turned his back on him, just missing the flash of pain across his face.

"Alright, I won't...I won't interfere then." He went to pat him on the shoulder, then thought against it and lowered has hand back into his pocket, fingers wrapping around the matches.

"Hey Prom!" Gladio called out, grabbing his attention, "Got the matches?" He asked gently. He nodded in response, dragging his feet as he trudged back over, retrieving the box and tossed it over for Gladio to catch. "Thanks." He replied, pulling one and and striking it before dropping it into the pile of firewood.

"Yeah." Prompto replied, leaning over to grab one of the smaller sticks and began poking at the growing fire, flaring up a few embers. Once the flames started to climb their way up the hunks of wood, he went to hover his hands over them for a few minutes, slowly getting feeling back in them as the temperature change sent stinging stabs though them. Once he was satisfied he straightened himself back up, "Imma go see if Iggy needs anything."

"Alright." Gladio replied, as he did the same, only with the still struggling Noctis as he fumbled around with the equipment.

Prompto came up behind Ignis, sidestepping into his line of sight, "Everything alright over here?" He asked in his upbeat way, placing an arm on Ignis's shoulder in a friendly manner and leaned slightly into to cross one leg over the other.

Ignis glanced at the younger out of the corner of his eye, "Actually, now that you mention it, you can go grab the ingredients out of my pack." He pointed at the bag that was sitting on the ground a few feet from Promtpo.

He looked down at it as his face fell a little, "Oh, yeah, sure." He responded in a forcefully cheerful tone of voice. "Just an errand boy I guess." He breathed out and opened the bag. "What exactly do you need?" He asked loud enough for Ignis to hear now.

"Just a few basic spices, I don't plan on doing anything too extravagant tonight."

'Alright then.' Prompto thought t himself as he dug around seeking out simple things, such as salt and pepper. He don't know enough about cooking to know what else would be considered 'basic', so he just grabbed some garlic powder as well, since he actually knew what that was. He carried the three containers over, "Here we are." He said placing them next to Ignis, "I guess these are simple things."

"That will do." Ignis thanked in his own way. "Not exactly what I had in mind, but I can make it wo-"

"Dammit, why don't you just back off!?" Noctis' voice cut through Ignis' effectively ending what he was saying.

"What the hell is your problem anyway?" Gladio's own voice fumed, though a bit more collected than the other. He took a step closer in an intimidating manner, towering over Noctis, "I'm just trying to offer my help. Get the stick out of your royal ass and accept some help."

"I don't need it, alright?" Noctis turned to face away as he tried to continue constructing the tent.

"You've been working on it for an hour and have made zero progress. Yeah, you definitely have this under control."

"Just shut up and leave me alone." Noctis took a step away but Gladio's hand upon his shoulder kept him in place.

Before they could argue anymore, Prompto rushed over to try and simmer things down before they got too out of control. The moment he reached them he stretched out an arm between them, trying to separate them, "Guys, please, there's no need for this." He practically begged.

"Prompto, stay out of this." Noctis growled, trying to shove him out of the way, but the blond held his ground, refusing to budge.

"Noct, Just settle down and listen for a second." He solicited as politely as he could.

"Why can't you ever shut up and stay out of things?" He gave one finally push, finally succeeding in knocking the other to the ground. "You wouldn't understand this, so just stay out of it."

Prompto stayed where he was for a few moments, allowing his words to plunge into his heart. 'Of course.' He told himself, 'I'm not like them after all. I shouldn't even be here.' He slowly got to his feet and began to walk away from the two. He glanced back at the others as they continued their heated discussion. "I'm going for a quick walk." He announced waving a hand back at them. No one answered, so he took that as no one was paying attention, as they were too focused on their tempers. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and began backtracking down the trail they had come up on.

* * *

Noctis dropped the pieces he held on the ground, "You can just do it then." He strolled away in a huff, noticing the blonde walking off somewhere to his right, but he ignored it.

"Oh sure, I'd be glad to. Maybe then we;ll have somewhere to sleep tonight." Gladio replied loud enough for the prince to hear as he crouched down to start setting things up properly. He heard Noctis sigh heavily but that was it, he didn't give another vocal response. He began putting up the tent in stretched and tense silence for about half an hour when a particularly strong gust of wind rolled by, almost destroying his progress, but he was able to keep it standing.

"Looks like more bad weather is about to show up uninvited." Ignis informed from his place by the fire, stirring whatever it was he had decided upon making. He glanced around at the other two, then looked for the third. "Where is Prompto?" He asked, taking another look around, and even behind him.

Noctis dramatically shrugged his shoulders, "How the hell should I know?" He was still standing in his spot, sulking away, "Last I saw he was moping off." He waved a hand in the direction he saw him go, not bothering to turn around.

"Don't you think you should go after him then?" Gladio said from his kneeling position

Notcis stayed quiet for a moment, thinking about how he reacted earlier, "He'll be fine." He decided on, "He can handle himself. Besides, he knows the way back just fine."

Ignis gazed up to the sky, it was already on the brink of dimming. "It won't be long before night falls." He announced. "And with it will come a drastic decrease in temperature." He tried to hint to the others.

Noctis unfolded his arms and let them hang loosely at his side as he threw his head back. "If you're that worried then I'll go." Is what he said, but the others knew deep down he felt the same, he was just too stubborn to admit it.

"I don't want you going alone." Ignis quickly spoke up. "When Gladio is done, and if he's not back yet, the two of you go. It's too dangerous to go by yourself, and with the dying light it will be even more so."

"I'm capable of going alone." Noctis declared, shooting a glare over at Gladio. "If anything happens, I can just warp out."

"I would still prefer if someone went with you." Ignis countered, "Splitting up even further would not be a wise idea. So, just accept it as it is."

Noctis crouched by the fire and wrapped his arms around himself as another piercing wind engulfed him. "Alright, fine, I'll play along." Gladio smirked to himself, choosing to stay out of this one and enjoy it from a distance.

* * *

Prompto got a few yards away and could still hear their incessant bickering, which was really starting to grate at his already worn away nerves. "Can't they just try listening to each other for once in their life?" He asked himself, looking down at his feet as he spoke. He kicked a loose rock that was sticking up out of the snow and watched it as it tumbled down the side of the incline, knocking bits of snow down with it as it fell. It hit a jutting rock as it was launched off and continued to fall to the ground.

He took a few back steps from the edge, feeling a bit uneasy now after watching that. It was a long drop after all. Pulling his jacket closer to himself he walked on, keeping his eyes on the edge for a few more moments before tearing them away to watch where he was going. He dragged his feet through the snow as he went, leaving behind two minor trenches in his wake, which were slowly beginning to fill in with fresh snow.

He wasn't sure how long he was walking, too lost in his own thoughts and concerns to really bother to care, but one rather harsh gust of wind brought him back to reality when it was almost enough to topple him over. Stopping to hug himself tightly against the frigid bites, he tossed a glance over his shoulder, realizing for the first time how far he had gone. Not only that, but how late it was getting. Suddenly aware that he should probably be heading back, he turned around, a bit too quickly for him to keep his footing.

He gasped his one foot slipped out from under him, grabbing for whatever he could. His hands came in contact with another jutting out rock as the rest of his body tired to pull him further down the slope and closer to the edge. Clinging to the rocky surface, he was just thankful that it missed his head. With a few strong tugs he was able to curl his body around the rock and used it to get back to his feet.

Prompto kept his hands on the top of it as he leaned forward to catch his breath ad will his heart to slow down. He felt a slight stinging in his hands. Once he was calmed down enough he removed one glove to take a look, it was nothing but a few scrapes from where the rock had dug in, so nothing too major, but annoying nonetheless. He slipped it back on and placed his hands under his arms like earlier.

Taking a few tentative steps, he made sure to be extra slow with his steps now, ever fearful of falling again. Snowflakes began falling more frequently now, flecking his face with unwanted frosted kisses that instantly melted with the contact. A few however, clung to his hair and lashes, refusing to let go. Visibility eventually descended into obscurity as he struggled to see a few feet in front of him now. He took slower and smaller steps to compensate for this, dreading the fact that it would take so much longer for him to get back now. Prompto internally chastised himself for wandering off now, it was so stupid now that he thought about it.

His feet and ankles were quickly starting to lose feeling now, being surrounded by constant cold, and he didn't realize when his foot got caught on another rock. Taking his next step he became dreadfully aware that he was tilting forward. Out of instinct he put his hands out to break his fall. With nothing to grab onto but snow, he hastily slid a few feet as his hands searched desperately for something to grab onto.

By the time his fingers wrapped around something solid he felt his legs spill over the edge, which was quickly followed by the rest of his body. "Shit." He ground out as he held on more tightly to his one hop of pulling himself back up. He tugged at the stone, desperately trying to get out of this situation. A shift in his hold ran through his arm and straight through his heart as well. He looked down below him to see the steep slope, then back up as the ledge he held on to was slowly coming loose. "No no no." He said under his breath, giving another pull.

That was all it took, with the added strain the deteriorating hold the stone had on the rest of the mountain could no longer sustain the weight and finally gave out. All Prompto could get out was a another panicked gasp that was swiftly cut off as he felt himself being roughly dragged down by gravity over harsh terrain that occasionally gripped onto his clothing.

What seemed like ages, the friction was finally enough to slow him enough to grab onto a jutting ledge, his arms shaking with the effort. His limbs were stretched out to their full length, making lifting himself back up near impossible. Coming up with another plan, he gazed down below him and was met with another ledge, this one quite a bit larger than the one he was hanging onto. Only thing was, it was quite a ways down, maybe twenty feet if he had to guess. It was a risk, but he knew he couldn't hold on forever, and getting back up was out of the question.

With a deep breath and a silent prayer he let go. Everything seemed to go in slow motion as he held his breath in anticipation. He was painfully alerted when he finally made contact with the snow covered surface below. There was a dull, yet apparent snapping sound as the air was knocked out of him with the impact.

For a few moments he felt nothing as adrenaline was still flowing strongly through his system. He pushed himself up to his hands and knees and still found no issues, so standing was next. First he planted his right leg and pushed up from there, once steady he placed his left and shifted his weight over to it.

Without warning he was reunited with the ground as it buckled underneath him with a nearly unbearable pain pulsing through it. Rolling over to his side he drew up the ailing limb to hold it protectively. His hands ran over over and he honestly felt sick feeling it. A few inches above his ankle he felt something protruding slightly as a warm and wet substance flowed and soaked through his gloves. A part of him wanted to inspect it, but the other part warned him against it, knowing he wasn't going to like it.

He lifted his head and craned his neck slowly to peer down, and immediately had to look away to keep from throwing up. The leg was twisted at an odd angle, and he barely got the chance to see the extent of it before he had to turn away, but it was enough to know it was bad. Keeping his eyes off it, he sat up and dragged himself back until he was leaning against the rocky surface, and couldn't stop the cry of pain has his injured leg was jostled with the movement.

Reaching into his pocket he felt around for his phone, heart dropping once again when his fingers grazed over chunks of metal. He didn't even take it out, knowing it was utterly destroyed from the fall. Instead, he tightened all his clothing around himself and curled up as much as his leg would allow and just waited.

* * *

By the time the tent was up and sturdy enough, snow was beginning to come down full force. More than once he found himself brushing the fluffy material out of his face. Rubbing his hands together, he strolled over to the others and held them out over the fire to provide them with a bit of needed warmth. He shot a glance between the other two who seemed just as uptight as he felt.

Without a word, Noctis got to his feet and walked past Gladio, taking out his phone as he did so. Dialing Prompto's number, trying to see if he could reach him that way before embarking, he aggressively pressed the 'end' button when all that came up was a dial tone. "Dammit." He swore under his breath looking and seeing that there was no signal. He stuffed it back into his pocket and turned to face the larger man, "Are you ready to go now?" He asked a bit impatiently.

Gladio stood back up, "Yeah, we should get going before it gets too late."

"Before you go." Ignis cut in, stepping over to his own pack. He retrieved a few things and brought them over to Gladio, placing them in his hand. Gladio gazed down at a couple potions, "In case things go awry. You never know, especially in these conditions. Gotta be ready for whatever comes along."

Gladio wrapped his fingers around them, "Thanks." He replied looking up to meet Ignis' eyes as he slipped them into his pocket, "Be careful while we're gone, like you said, 'you never know.' And we don't know if anything's out here."

Ignis nodded and watched as they turned their backs on him and the slowly got further and further away until he could no longer make them out. He lowered his head and breathed out a puff of air and went to double check their supplies, anything to keep him busy and distracted.

For the time being, both Gladio and Noctis let their earlier disagreements sit on the back burners as they took turns calling out their friend's name, each time getting no response. After a few more minutes of searching they came across a couple odd markings in the snow. They were faint, but it was definitely walking trails. With a bit of new hope, they followed them closely.

* * *

Prompto had lost track of how long he had been there, but it had felt like hours to him, whether or not that was the case was beyond him. All he knew was that his fingers and toes had lost feeling long ago and he could no longer control his shivering as it escalated to a violent state. As he thought about it, the fear and panic that was in the back of his mind slowly crawled its way to the front lines where it began to cloud his judgment and logic. He had to get out of this. The others probably didn't even know he was gone, so why should he expect them to come for him.

Placing his hands against the rock, he dragged his left leg as he used the other to stand on and support all his weight. He whimpered quietly as the movement shot a jolt of pain upwards. "Come on, you got this." He told himself as he straightened out his posture. He gripped at the first jutting out rock he saw and held onto it with all he was able, and with one solid pull he swung his other arm up to grab at another about a foot higher.

At this point both legs were hanging uselessly, so he placed his right on the side to get some sort of traction as it felt around for a suitable spot to dig into. It took longer than he liked, but soon enough it was secure enough for him to reach out again with another hand. The lack of feeling was really starting to effect him now as it seemed as though his hand was hovering over nothing and not long after that his foot lost its hold. Both hands reached forward in a sad attempt at redemption.

He landed with a soft and cushioned crunch as sank a few inches into the snow, luckily he didn't make it too far before that happened. Though, it was still enough to remind him that his leg was still broken. He balled up a fist and slammed it into the snow out of frustration of his own weakness and this whole situation.

If it weren't for the still dropping temperature, he would have stayed where he was, but the exposed parts of his body screamed for him to move. He gave them what they wanted and forced himself to move, shuffling back over to his original spot. His eyes caught a glimpse of his leg again, and he was really not liking the thought of it. But, the more he did, the more he knew it had to be done sooner or later.

With a deep breath, he gazed back down at it, now seeing the red that had spread throughout his pants leg. He leaned over and carefully pulled back the shreds of fabric, wincing when he saw white peaking through.

His heart had increased to an impossible rate knowing what he was about to do; he felt light-headed and nauseous, but he fought against it. He couldn't pass out yet. With another steadying breath he removed his scarf and balled it up, placing it over the exposed bone. With no hesitation and one quick push with both hands, he could feel the shift but everything else was drowned out be the flaring agony the encased him and his own screaming.

Spots danced before his vision and he found himself taking quick and shallow breaths as he was clinging onto consciousness. His hands were now hovering over the wound unsure of what to do now. He pushed himself harder against the rocks as if trying to escape the pain, to crawl away from it, but it continued to flood over him full force. All the while the flashing dots were growing in size until it was all he could see, and to his relief numbness accompanied it.

* * *

Noctis' ears perked when he thought he heard something in the distance. His eyes scanned the road ahead of them, "Did you hear that?" He asked quietly, afraid to speak louder and risk missing it again should it occur. He took a few careful steps towards the sound, listening intently but only silence welcomed him.

"Only thing I can hear is this damn wind." Gladio replied, fully irritated at this point by the worsening weather. "What was it? Or what do you think it was?" He asked anyway, any bit of sign would help them out after all.

Noctis waited again before answering, hoping it would sound again, "I-I thought I heard someone. Like someone yelling. I'm not sure though, but I'm almost certain."

Gladio gave it a second of thought, "Do you think it was him?" He asked, though his hopes weren't very high. And if it was, the fact that he was yelling couldn't be a good sign. He hoped it was Prompto, but at the same time he prayed it wasn't.

"I don't know." Noctis replied lowly, thinking the same thing as the other. "We should keep going though." He wasted no time in quickening his pace, much to Gladio's disapproval.

"Hey, slow down. It won't do him any good if you get yourself killed." Gladio scolded, quickly catching up and catching him by the arm. "Just take it easy. We can barely see anything out here, running off like that and you could run off the edge. Tell me what then?"

He couldn't speak, Gladio was right, but he couldn't respond to that. "I-I wasn't thinking, alright?" He pulled his arm out of his grasp, "It's getting dark, so we need to hurry."

Gladio stood there as the other turned to go on and glanced off to the right near the edge and had to do a double take. "Hey, Noct." He called the other. The tone in his voice made him freeze, it was dripping with fear and deny. He carefully turned his head and followed Gladio's gaze.

"What is it?" He asked hesitantly before he saw for himself and realization hit him full force. "You don't think?" He asked, dropping to his knees next to the ruffled up snow, showing clear signs of some sort of struggle. His eyes trailed along to see it leading to the edge, where it seemed as though it continued past that. "No." Noctis begged to himself as his hands joined his knees in plunging into the snow, "No no no." He crawled over to the edge, Gladio right behind him, should he follow the blonds example.

"Noct, careful." He warned, hand inches from his back.

"Gladio?" He asked, voice dead flat, "How high up do you suppose we are?" He asked, turning only his head to look the man in the face.

"I don't know." He answered honestly, "Half a mile, maybe more. I wasn't exactly keeping track of that." He saw the look in his eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking, "Don't you dare." He strictly ordered, grabbing hold of his collar, not even giving him the chance to start climbing down.

"Someone has to!" Noctis yelled up at him. "It's my fault he came out here, dammit!" He looked back down, not seeing much past the flurry of white. He could make out a speck pretty far down, "Wait." His tone made a full one-eighty, "Something's down there." He felt hope begin to rise, then realized how far away it actually was, "We need to get down there."

"You don't even know if that's him or not." Gladio reminded.

"No, maybe not, but do you see him anywhere else?" He asked way harsher than he had intended to. When he got no answer, he went on, "No? I didn't think so."

Gladio went to protest, but never got the chance as Noctis vanished, warping away down the side of the mountain. "Noctis, you idiot." He ground out, watching the flashes of blue as the quickly got further and further away.

In his desperation, Noctis reached the ledge in a mater of seconds. Slowly lifting his eyes he met with that familiar form, huddled up against the rocks. Not moving.

He took a step towards him, "Prompto?" He asked barely above a whisper, his horror restraining his voice. He reached out a hand and cupped his face in it, flinching from the way he didn't respond. "Hey, you in there?" He tried again, voice cracking at the end. He tapped very lightly, afraid that doing so with any more force would break him.

The blond still didn't respond, "Come on, Prom." Noctis lifted his other hand and placed it against the other's neck, sighing in relief when he felt the pulse. It was faint, but it was there, and that's all he needed. The comforting feel of it soon wore off enough for him to realize that his scarf was gone. He was sure he was wearing one earlier. He glanced around and found it lying in the snow next to him.

Grabbing the material, Noctis dropped it back down when he saw the red stains in the snow underneath it. "Wha?" He asked, picking the scarf up again and inspecting it. It had a fair amount of blood drenched into it. "What did you do?" He gazed back to the red snow, following the trail to his leg, which was soaked in the liquid. He visibly cringed just looking at it. Peeling the material back he saw the extent of it all, the puncture wound as well as the bone the was still poking partially through.

He was able to put two and two together, and honestly it hurt to know what he went through. Seeing that Prompto didn't get it all the way back in, Noctis went to do it himself. Using the scarf like the other had, he placed it over the wound and was only able to add a little bit of pressure when he gasped in pain, instinctively trying to pull himself away.

The prince was quick to stop what he was doing and crawled over to Prompto's face, cupping it once again. "Prom?" He asked, louder than before. The blonde moaned in response, his eyebrows knitting together in his discomfort. "Come on, that's it, I need you to wake up." His eyes gradually cracked open, and it was obvious he couldn't focus on anything. Noctis took Prompto's hands in his own, holding them together trying to get some warmth back into them.

Prompto felt this, and groggily he looked towards the source, noticing for the first time that someone was there next to him. "Noct?" He croaked, almost inaudibly.

"Yeah, I'm here." Noctis assured him as he continue to rub his hands, his still hands. Now that he payed attention, he was deadly still, while Noctis was sitting there shivering enough for the both of them. "I'm here." He repeated, as his hands unconsciously moved quicker to try and produce more heat. He glanced back down at his leg, "But I need to fix your leg, alright? It can't stay like that."

Prompto nodded sluggishly, but Noctis wasn't sure he really understood what he was saying. He nodded back and gently lied his hands at his sides, moving back down to his leg. Picking up where he left off, he tossed the scarf over the bone and his hands on top of that. He cast another look at Prompto's face, seeing that he was still staring off. "Alright, here we go." He pressed down hastily, flinching at the feeling of the bone shifting back into place, immediately followed by Prompto's agony filled cry.

Noctis tried to ignore it, but it tore into him. He unraveled the material and began winding it tightly around the wound, trying to stunt the bleeding as well as hold the bone in place for the time being. He could still hear small whimpers escaping from the other's lips as his body was now shaking from the pain. A couple tears spilled out and were now running down his cheeks, leaving thin trails behind.

Once the scarf was tied off, Noctis went back to his friend's side, "Prompto, look at me." He grabbed both sides of his face, forcing him to at least face him. "I need you to let me know that you can hear me." It took a moment but he finally met his eyes, though they were still foggy.

"Yeah." He whispered, trying to close his eyes.

"No, can't go to sleep, Prom. Gotta stay away, alright?" Noctis emphasized by tapping his cheek rather roughly.

Prompto nodded again, seemingly to understand this time.

"Ok, good." Noctis released his hold on his face. "Look, I'll be right back, alright, I need to tell Gladio something. I'm going to get something that will help you, ok?" He waited until Prompto responded, "Ok, remember, no sleeping. I won't be gone long."

* * *

Gladio stayed where he was, not daring to move from where he was. For the first few minutes he heard or saw nothing, and he was starting to fee concern deep down. After another couple minutes of nothing, he was getting ready to attempt to climb down when he heard what Noctis must have been talking about. He heard the scream. It was faint and hard to hear over the wind, but it was definitely Prompto.

He flinched without meaning to, the amount of agony that one sound carried. He stood stunned for a moment, something was obviously wrong, there was no doubt about it anymore. This only intensified his need to get down there, but again he was cut off as a flash of blue begin making its way back up.

"Noct, what the hell is going on?" He checked him over, stopping in his hands where there was hints of red dotting them.

"Those potions Ignis gave you, I need them." Noctis cut right to it, wasting no time with explanations.

"Noctis, what's wrong? You need to tell me." Gladio firmly held him by the shoulders.

"It's bad, really bad. I need those potions, I have to get back down there right now." He held out his hand expectantly which were quickly filled with the glass containers. "Thanks." He offered, turning to go back down. "Go get Ignis." He didn't wait for a reply as he quickly descended back down.

The first thing he did upon reaching the bottom was check to see if Prompto's eyes were still open, thankful that they were. They were struggling and half-closed, but he was awake, which was good enough for him. He went back to his bad leg and quickly popped open one of the potions. He fumbled with it a bit in his haste but eventually he got ready and poured the liquid directly into the open wound.

The effect was instant as things began to mend, and with that came Prompto's squirming as a burning sensation flowed through him along with dull throbs. He groaned out between clenched teeth and his hands reached out to grab at the ailing appendage. Noctis swatted his hands away, "Don't touch it." He instructed, waiting until the potion was done working. To his dismay it was indeed done, but it didn't heal the injury as much as he liked. It wasn't bleeding anymore as the flesh would was healed enough, but the bone was still obviously fractured.

Thinking about it, he popped the other open and went up to Prompto, holding it out, "Drink this." He ordered. The other looked at him in confusion, misery etched into his features and he tiredly shook his head. "Prom, you don't have a choice. I'm not asking you to, I'm telling you to." He pressed the mouth of the potion bottle to his lips, "Come on, open your mouth." He forced it and got a small amount to pour in before Prompto snatched his head to the side and spit it out. "Dammit, com on."

The blonde panted a few times as he leaned his head back. "Please, no. Hurts too much." He whined, and Noctis understood why he didn't want it.

"Look, I know it hurts, but it's only for a moment, then it's better, you know this. You know how this works." He looked into his eyes and through the clouds that plagued them, "But you aren't thinking clearly either." He added quieter. "Prompto, I'm begging you, please just take it, and I won't ask you to do anything else, understand?"

Prompto hesitated, but nodded. "Good." Noctis offered it to him again, but this time he took it into his own hands. In one go, to get it over with he downed the potion, dropping the container when the effects of it hit again just as before, The searing sensation traveling up his leg until it eventually faded into a dull ache. "See?" Noctis said lightly, "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Prompto only glared at him spitefully.

The other laughed to himself at that as he went to check on his leg, seeing how it was holding up now. He pressed on it lightly, eliciting a small whimper. So, it wasn't completely healed, but it wasn't in two pieces anymore at least. Though, it was still pretty swollen. "It's a lot better, but I wouldn't suggest using it." Noctis said more to himself than anyone else.

He didn't get a reply so looked back up to Prompto. He was watching him, but he was also fidgeting with his hands, seemingly without knowing he was doing so. "Watcha doing?" He asked, more to keep him talking than curiosity.

Prompto dramatically shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno." He mouthed, sound barely coming out. "'M tired." He said, trying to draw his legs up to curl up.

Noctis quickly stopped him, "No, no, don't do that." He warned, holding onto the one leg to keep it still. "No sleeping."

"Just a few minutes." Prompto almost pleaded, allowing his eyes to slide partially closed. "Promise."

Noctis crawled back over and hesitated before striking a hand across his face. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you go to sleep, and if it means being rough with you, then so be it. You'll forgive me and even thank me for it later."

Prompto raised a hand to his stinging cheek, slightly shocked at being slapped, but he didn't look offended by it, he just looked...emotionless.

* * *

Gladio was at a loss of how to react. Was it really so bad for the prince to behave that rashly? Deciding to heed Noctis' request he turned and began the slow trek back up, being sure to watch every step he took. The process was long and tedious, but eventually he could see the glow of the fire in the distance, and with that as a beacon, his quickened his pace knowing that there was nothing to hinder him between where he was and the campsite.

Ignis was checking things over for about the fourth time by the time he heard the crunching of footsteps, with his optimism high he spun to face them, or rather, him. "Where are the others?" He asked nervously, only seeing Gladio stroll up.

"We found Prompto." Gladio said calmly, so as not to cause too much distress. "But it's not good. Noctis is with him, and he sent me to get you. Tell me you packed some rope or something."

"Rope? Why would you need rope. And what do you mean by 'not good.'?" Ignis asked, anxiety flowing through his veins as he went to retrive his pack, "And yes, I have rope. You should know by now I prepare for anything."

Gladio looked into the fire, "Well, don't panic, but he fell. Far." He gave the other man a moment and continued. "I don't know how bad it is, Noctis wouldn't tell me, just that he needed both potions, and he was in a rush to get back down."

Ignis clicked his tongue at that, "I understand, let's go." He threw the bag over his shoulder and walked past Gladio, at a faster speed than he would have expected the man to go considering the current terrain.

Returning back seemed to go by so much faster than going back for Ignis had been. Ignis was quick to pull out the rope and tied it tight around one of the secure boulders, throwing the other end over the side, "You should go down, since you can carry him more easily than I can. I'll stay here and make sure your escape stays in tact."

Gladio nodded and picked up the rope, gripping it tightly as he stepped over the edge and began his steady climb down. It took him a few minutes to reach the end of it since he was taking it so slow, and he realized that it didn't quite reach the ledge, it was short by about ten feet, but it was easy enough to drop down.

He stuck the landing with ease, "Noct, how is he holding up?" He asked the moment his feet made contact.

Noctis snapped his head around, not even noticing that someone else was already here. "I don't know." He answered honestly, "It's really bad." He said agian, as he patted Prompto's cheek to get his attention, "Hey, look. I told you, help was coming." He said leaning to the side so he could see the larger man.

Prompto's eyes lit up just a tad amount, "G-Gladdy?" His voice was strained and forced. "Where's Iggy?" He asked as an afterthought as he looked around for the man.

"He's waiting for us." Gladio answered, pointing upwards. "You'll get to see him soon."

"Ok." Prompto replied, void of enthusiasm, as if he lost all interest. "Why am I so tired?" He asked himself, letting his head drop down.

"Gotta stay awake, just for a little longer." Gladio told him, before Noctis could. He stepped over to pick him up, but Noctis stopped him as his hands made contact.

"Careful." He warned gazing down at his injured limb. "His leg was broken pretty badly. I gave him both the potions, but I don't think it fully healed it."

Gladio nodded and knelt down to face Prompto ad lifted his head to look at him, "Hey, we need to get back up, and I can't hold onto and climb at the same time, do you understand." The blond was looking somewhere past him, but nodded once. "Ok, good. Do you think you can hold on tight and long enou- No, keep your eyes open and on me." He shook his head lightly, trying to get him to keep his eyes open. "Do you think you can hold onto me until we get to the top?"

Prompto's head leaned heavily into his hands, and Gladio felt, more than heard, him mumble something. When asked what he said, Prompto only shook his head. "This is getting us nowhere." Gladio huffed out, knowing that he couldn't help it. "Noctis, help get him onto my back, would you?"

Noctis nodded and leaned over to place his hands under Prompto's arms. He didn't even bother asking if he was ready, as he wasn't expecting a real answer to that question. He hefted him up and threw one of his arms over his own shoulders, supporting all of his weight. That earned him a small gasp when his legs were dragged a bit, "Sorry." He apologized quickly. He walked Prompto over to Gladio, who was crouching down.

"Just throw him over my shoulder." Gladio instructed, "He'll be safe that way." Noctis did as he was told, and gently lied the blond over him, who took one arm and wrapped it around his waist. "You go ahead to the top and help Ignis pull us up." With that, he began climbing the short distance up to the rope.

Noctis waited until he had reached it, and was holding on to securely and warped his way to the top. "He wants us to pull them up." He said as he instantly placed a hand on the rope, Ignis' found their way directly behind his, and simultaneously they started pulling the others up. It was a little more difficult with the cold causing the muscles a seize a bit, but they were making progress.

After a while, Gladio's head finally popped up over the side. "Ignis, go grab Prompto off him, I'll hold this."

"Are you sure you got it?" Ignis asked, knowing full well, Gladio was by no means a light man.

"I'm sure." He tightened his fingers around it, "As long as you aren't asking me to pull him up, then yeah, I got it."

Ignis risked letting go and hurried over, kneeling down and grabbing Prompto under his arms to pulled him over the edge. He dragged him a couple yards away and went back to assist Gladio, who refused his help altogether, "Go take care of him, I can get up myself." Ignis nodded and turned to go back to Prompto, who was already trying to sit up and had his hands fiddling with his jacket zipper.

Ignis ran over ad took his hands away, "What are you doing?" He asked seeing that his gloves were even off. He found them nearby and swiftly put them back over his hands. "We need to get back quickly." He yelled over for the others to hear. "He's in the late stages of hypothermia, we need to get him warmed up."

Gladio was next to him instantly, and was lifting him into his arms, ignoring the way the blond tried to push away. "Stop." He whined, pushing his hands against the larger man's chest.

He didn't respond and held him close, trying to provide what little warmth he could. Placing one hand around his head, he pulled it closer to press against his shoulder. As he began walking he felt Prompto struggle even more and looked down just as he was trying to remove his hat, but failing with his numb hands. Ignis was walking next to him and ripped his hands away. "Prompto, you have to leave that on." He held onto his hands, not trusting him to stay dressed.

* * *

It seemed like hours before the reached the campsite with the amount of stress they were all under, and by then Prompto had ceased his efforts in removing items, but at the same time he had stopped responding at all. His eyes were still open, but they were vacant and unfocused.

When they were close enough, Ignis had gone on ahead to get things ready. Dragging one of their covers, he placed it next to the fire, which he was then in the process of adding more wood to. He pointed Gladio towards the intended spot and he followed, lying Prompto down on it. With the knowledge that he needed to warm him up he removed his own jacket and shirt, and went to remove Prompto's as well. Not caring what anyone thought he pulled the blonde close and wrapped his arms around him, sharing his body heat. Ignis saw this and went to get their only over cover and tossed it around them.

Noctis took off his own scarf and wrapped it snug around his neck. Looking him over he noticed a small blister on the tip of his nose, and there were a couple more on the tips of his ears. Then he remembered, "Ignis." He waved the other man over and knelt down next to Prompto's leg, "You may need to check on this, I tried my best, but I'm pretty sure it still needs work." He stayed there until Ignis joined him, "It was pretty messed up. The bone...the bone was protruding, and it looked like he tried to push it back in. I pushed it the rest of the way, and gave him the potions, but I think it might still be fractured."

Ignis looked it over, poking at it gently and feeling the swelling and frowned to himself. "It's not aligned properly." He said sullenly. "Which means it will not heal properly."

"What do we do about that?" Noctis asked, fearing what the solution might entail.

Ignis cast his gaze away and into the fire, "Not much we can do, unless we re-break it." He stated matter-of-factly, not bothering to sugar-coat it. "And if we are to do that, I suggest we do it now while he's still out of it."

Noctis swallowed hard, "If...if it's what we have to do, then let's do it.

Ignis nodded and dropped his pack to the ground, fetching out a few more potions and handed them over. "The moment I get the bones lined up, I want you to make him take at least two those, all three if you can." He looked up to Gladio now, "He may not be aware right now, but he's still going to react, so do what you can to keep him steady, and Noct, you hold on to the tops of his legs, I don't need him kicking out."

Noctis did that immediately, his own body tense in dreadful anticipation. Once he was in place Ignis placed both hands on Prompto's leg, one above the fracture location, and one below, and with everything he had, he pushed/pulled in opposite directions, the crack that was already present, making the re-breaking a bit easier.

The cracking sound the resonated made both Gladio and Noctis flinch, and Prompto's reaction was without delay. He gave a small yet pain-filled cry as his back arched and he tried to pull away, but with no energy to spare he didn't manage much.

Ignis worked hurriedly, straightening the limb out and holding both sections in place, "Now, Noct."

Said person popped open the first potion and held it to Prompto's mouth once he settled down enough not to knock it away. He held his face still and began pouring the liquid, and the blond swallowed reflexively, gasping once the potion was emptied. He allowed him to catch his breath before forcing the next between his lips. "I know, I know." Noctis said quietly when he felt Prompto trying to turn his head away, but he held on strong and poured the second in. Once again, it went down, but not without him choking on it first.

Ignis gave him the ok to stop at that one. "It will be enough for now, it'll fuse the bones enough to stay put. He can take the third later." Noctis placed the last one next to him, and used his sleeve to wipe away the drops the streamed down Prompto's chin.

Gladio intuitively held the blond closer, in a gesture of comfort, hoping to ease his suffering if just a little. Ignis, however, had to step away for a moment. He knew he had to do what he did, but causing pain like that to someone he considered close like that still stung deeply. He hadn't noticed his hands shaking until he went to push his glasses up, and he wanted to blame that on the cold, but knew that wasn't the case. Taking a deep breath, he hid his hands in his pockets, not wanting the others to see.

He looked over his shoulder, glad to see they were both still focused on the gunslinger, who still appeared to be breathing heavily from the trauma. He took a moment to compose himself and finally rejoined the others, deciding it wasn't quite safe enough for him to take a breather just yet.

"Everything good?" Noctis asked, sensing the other's presence behind him.

"Indeed, everything is fine." Ignis answered collectedly, "How is he holding up?" He nodded towards Prompto even though neither were looking at him.

"He's calmed down a bit." Gladio answered. "He's still not responding to us, but he does seem more awake after..." He trailed off, not wanting to mention it. That scream was still echoing inside his head. Something he definitely didn't want to hear ever again.

"That's good." Ignis answered as he picked up Prompto's clothes from the ground and placed them closer to the fire. He left them there for a few minutes until the were thoroughly heated. Picking them back up he quickly folded them and placed them under the cover in various places over his torso, trying to warm his core. "Noct, grab a pot and start scooping up snow with it, fill it up if you can and place it next to the fire."

He did as he was told without question, and it didn't take long with the intense heat coming off in waves to melt the snow, and he left it there for the water to heat up enough. Ignis thanked him and grabbed a cloth from his bag and soaked it through. He wrung out the excess water and began wiping it around Prompto's face.

After a few minutes of repeating the process, Gladio felt a slight shiver run through his body. He smiled to himself, knowing it to be a good sign, but he didn't relax just yet. Soon enough shivers wracked his form as they slowly grew more violent.

His eyes also seemed to become slightly brighter as they held more life in them, and the first thing he focused on was Ignis' face as he wrung out the cloth once again. He said nothing though as they locked onto what the man was doing. It was obvious he was still a bit dazed and didn't know completely what was going on. He squirmed a bit in Gladio's hold, but that didn't last long as it quickly wore him out and Ignis kept with his task.

Noctis busied himself with re-heating the clothing items and replacing them back under the cover. "How much longer do you think this will take?" He asked after what felt like an hour.

"He's finally coming around, so it won't be much longer before then." Ignis informed, dipping the cloth back in, and leaving it there this time. He reached for his neck to check his pulse, glad to feel it much stronger and steadier than before.

The younger man lifted his eyes up and again met Ignis'. "Ig-" He tried to speak, but couldn't get his words to form. He tried again after blinking heavily to try and clear his vision, "Iggy?" He got out, but it was low and hoarse.

"Yes, Prompto, I'm here." He answered, leaning a bit closer so he was easier to see and make out.

The other squinted to get a better look. "Hmm." He closed his eyes and pushed himself further against Gladio, being attracted to the warmth and craving more of it.

"Comfortable?" Gladio asked as the blond buried his face into his chest. 'If only you knew what you were lying against.' he thought to himself in amusement. He didn't answer, but small and even puffs of air could be felt brushing against him. "And he's asleep." He announced to the others.

"Should we wake him?" Noctis asked, crouching down, and lifting the cover a bit to peer under.

"Leave him be." Ignis spoke, "It's alright to let him sleep now, that is Gladio, as long as you don't mind."

Gladio looked back down at his still form, "Nah, I guess it's alright."

* * *

After a couple of hours had past Ignis stood up and stretched himself out. "He should be fine now." He said, checking his pulse one last time. "We can get him dressed now." He retrieved the clothes that Noctis had sat by the fire not long ago and tossed the tank top over to Gladio, "Put that on him." Gladio did as he was instructed and as he held the blond up, Ignis slipped his jacket back on. "Get him in the tent, I'll clean up out here."

Gladio gathered Prompto in his arms, being extra careful of his leg since it still wasn't healed completely. He only stirred and groaned quietly, but other than that was relatively quiet and calm. He lied him down gently and draped the cover over him that was still around his shoulders.

He stood there silently, keeping an eye on the young man, only looking away when Noctis came through the entrance carrying the other cover and threw that one over him as well. "You stay in here with him, I'll go help Iggy finish up." Gladio said as he exited. A second later he poked his head back in, "And you should crawl under with him, share your heat ad not be greedy with it." He spoke with a smile and pulled his head back out.

Noctis didn't replied, but instead frowned at him and then looked back to Prompto. He was still pretty pale and was shaking subtly. Reluctantly, he lifted both covers and slid under them, moving himself closer to the other until he made contact. With slight embarrassment, he placed an arm around him and hugged him closer. He was just really hoping he wouldn't remember any of this. He didn't know how exhausted he was before lying down and getting comfortable, knowing that Prompto was safe now as well.

He was long gone when the other two eventually crawled in, but they were careful as they inched around them and got situated on the other side. Just like Noctis, it didn't take long for them to fall asleep as well.

* * *

He was absolutely freezing. Why was he so cold, and why did his body ache so much. Everything felt impossibly heavy, yet light at the same time. That didn't make any sense. He felt some shift behind him. He tried to see who it was and pried his eyes open, which were instantly assaulted by light. He forced them to stay open though, he needed to know what was going on. Trying to turn his body towards the source, he found it difficult as something heavy was holding him down. It took him longer than it should have to realize it was covers. More than one cover. That alone seemed odd to him. Is that why everything felt so heavy. Since he couldn't push them off, he instead tried to pull himself out from under them. The moment his body dragged even a small amount, pain was the only thing he was focused on.

It shot up is leg in dull throbs and he couldn't stop from gasping. "Try not to move around, your leg is still pretty damaged." That was Ignis' voice. He heard the shifting again, and this time he stepped in front of him so he could see his face.

"Iggy?" He asked, cringing at the sound of his own voice. It sounded so unlike him. "Wha?" He asked, confusion clouding his memories.

Ignis sat back down next to him, "You had a bit of a tumble." Was all he said, glancing over the other. "But it was nothing that couldn't be fixed." He added.

"Oh." Prompto replied, eyes scanning around again. "Where's the others?"

"They will be back soon." Ignis gazed out the open tent, "They went ahead to gather the tags. That was a few hours ago, so it won't be long now." He changed the subject. "But, now that you are awake, I need you to do something." He pulled a small glass bottle from the side and Prompto instantly recognized it as a potion, "Feel up to it?" Ignis asked, though he wasn't really giving him a choice in the matter.

"I'll try." Prompto answered, going to push himself up again, but was quickly assisted by the other. He was going to hold it for himself, but seeing he could barely move them, the thought better against it and allowed Ignis to hold it for him, as shameful as that felt. He drank the liquid without complaint and whined softly as the burning he knew all too well spread from his leg and soon faded into nothing.

"It's mostly healed now, but I still don't want you walking around just yet." Prompto nodded his understanding and relaxed back against him, his little strength quickly waning. "You also need to eat something." Ignis told him before he had the chance to drift off again.

"Can't that wait?" He asked, turning his head away from the sun.

"I'm afraid not." Ignis carefully placed his head back down as he stepped out for a few seconds, coming back with a bowl of something steaming. He sat it aside in order to left the blond back up against him. With one hand he picked the bowl up and held it in front of Prompto who had a grimace in his face.

"This is just plain demeaning." He whined.

"No it's not." Ignis tried to reassure, "Everyone goes through something similar at one point or another."

"So you had to be hand fed by another man?" He asked skeptically.

Ignis' mouth formed a hard line, "Well, we don't go through the exact same thing, but similar things, yes."

He sighed loudly, "Fiiine, just not a word about this to the others."

The scene of him burying himself further against Gladio's chest flashed across his mind and he smiled at that, "Promise, not a word." Ignis placed the bowl to his lips and tilted it just enough for him to sip at it. "Nice and slow." He warned.

He missed the face Prompto pulled, "Trust me, I know how to eat soup." He cast his eyes to the side, "Had enough practice in my younger days." He took another sip and relished in the warmth as it slowed down and seemed to help warm up the rest of him as well. They did this until about half of it was gone, and Prompto decided he was done as well.

Ignis didn't press it, figuring it was more than he had hoped for and left the other as he cleaned up. He returned to find him out once again. He returned to his place in the corner of the tent and picked his book back up to continue where he left off.

He was able to get a good distance in his book when he heard the returning footsteps of the other two. Noctis was the first to step into his view and he held out the two dog tags for Ignis to see. "Has he been asleep this whole time?" He asked, glanced down and right back to Ignis.

"Might as well have been." Ignis answered, pushing himself up, "He woke up long enough to take the last potion and eat a little something, but that would be all. But you will be happy to hear that he was completely lucid for it."

Noctis couldn't hide his smile at that, "Yeah, that's good to hear." He knelt down and lifted up a fringe of hair, seeing that he had more color in his face as well since last he saw. "Will we be leaving soon?"

"Yes, though he will not be walking, not on his own anyway. That leg may be mended mostly, but I doubt three measly potions are enough to be up to par for the trek back down." His eyes trailed over Prompto's form, stopping where his legs would be, "So either he will be carried, much against his will, I must add, or he will need someone to act as a crutch. Either way, I'm positive he won't like it."

"Guess he'll just have to suck it up then." Gladio's voice chimed in from outside as he busied himself with putting out the fire and packing everything up.

"I'll take that as you volunteering." Ignis teased.

"Well, from the looks of you two, I'd say I'm the only one truly qualified."

"That settles it then, I'm leaving him in your care for the remainder of our time until we get back into town." Ignis got up and rubbed his hands together, then stepped over Prompto and out of the tent.

Noctis was left alone with Prompto and he placed a hand against his cheek, grateful for the little warmth he felt there, "I'm so sorry." He said quiet enough for the others not to hear, "This was all my fault, I shouldn't have said or did what I did, but I was frustrated and I let it go to my head. Hopefully you'll forgive me for that." He stood back up and backed out of the tent to help the others.

* * *

With the three of them working together, it wasn't long before the tent was the last thing to clean up. They saved that for last to allow Prompto to rest as long as possible, but they couldn't delay any longer. They had to get going as soon as possible. Gladio eased into the tent and gently nudged the sleeping man, "Time to get up." He announced quietly. The other groaned to himself and tried to curl up, but was unable to due to the covers holding him down.

The larger man ripped both covers away, much to Prompto's dismay. "Wake up." Gladio said louder now, not waiting for a response now as he lifting him up.

Prompto's eyes opened at that and it took him a moment to become fully aware of what was happening, "Hey." He let out, offended by the gesture, "I can walk on my own." He attempted to free himself.

"Actually, last I checked, you can't." Gladio grinned at him tauntingly.

Prompto frowned back, "Dude, that is so not fair." He said, kicking his good leg up and down.

"Just shut up and relax" Gladio held him as the other two dissembled everything and got it packed up as well. All the while Prompto pouted to himself at the prospect of being carried like a small child. After a few minutes however, he pushed all that to the back of his mind as exhaustion started to set in once again already. Gladio noticed his body slowly lose it's tension and his eyes fall shut and just let him be. He needed more sleep anyway.

"Everyone ready?" Noctis asked as he pulled his pack onto his back, and then went to pick up Prompto's as well. With everyone giving their confirmation, they began the long journey back down, glad to be leaving this place.

Along the way, they came past the spot they would remember for a while, marks still flagging what happened and they all avoided looking at it, putting in actual effort into looking away from it. And it was even enough to sour their mood for a few minutes afterwards. They hoped it was a place they wouldn't have to return to anytime soon.

Within a few hours they were halfway down, and stopped to take a breather where they all took this opportunity to take a drink of water and rest a bit. Ignis took Prompto from Gladio during this time, to give the man the chance to stretch his arms and get a drink for himself. The blond stirred subtly in this transition, but fell right back into stillness. Once he was situated, he held his arms back out, taking Prompto back. And with that they started the second half of their descent.

The rest of the way was without incident, and that was honestly way more than any of them could have asked for. It was late afternoon by then, the warmest part of the day, but with this weather, that wasn't saying much.

The Regalia wasn't parked much further away and they were next to in less than an hour and began the tedious task of loading everything up. But first Ignis started it up and turned the heat on while Gladio lied Prompto down in the back seat, allowing him to soak in the warmth while they did all the heavy lifting.

They all hopped in, and last to get in was the big guy, who was slightly taken aback when he found a pair of blue eyes staring back at him, "Sure took you long enough." He joked as he climbed in. Prompto went to scoot over a bit, though was stopped. "You're fine where you are." Gladio assured. He slipped in and lifted Prompto's head to lean against him and closed the door.

"Thanks." Prompto offered silently as he rested against him.

"No problem." Gladio replied, protectively placing an arm over him to keep him steady as the car took off towards the main road. Every bump they crossed over caused the blond to whimper quietly as it sent jolts through his aching leg. Gladio leaned forward a bit more, "Think you could slow down a little?"

"My apologies." Ignis responded, slowing down a fair amount, and with it, Prompto's sounds of protest lessened with only the occasional one; dying altogether when they pulled onto the much smoother paved road. Until then Gladio didn't realize that the blonde's fingers had been digging into the wrist that was draped over him.

With the stress finally drained from their systems, it seemed like no time until the could see buildings coming into existence, and Ignis pulled over when they came across the hotel their employer was currently staying at. Ignis got out and made the exchange, taking longer than it should have. When he did come back out, he waved at the others to come out.

Noctis got out first, then Gladio. He reached in to pick up Prompto, but the younger refused this time, "I think I'd like to walk this time."

"You know you can't do th-"

"I know I can't, but I half can if you just help with it." Gladio sensed his need, and understood that he didn't want to be carried like that in front of strangers. "Alright." Gladio agreed, "Just don't put weight on it." He nodded and allowed the larger to help him out. Standing on one leg he wrapped his left arm around Gladio's shoulders, "You ready?"

Prompto nodded quickly, and as one they started their way over. This method was slow, but eventually they made it over. And he was utterly winded from the journey. Ignis gave him a disapproving look when they were finally there, but said nothing of it. "I've arranged for us to stay here for the night, I believe we could all use the luxury. And do not worry about the cost, our dear friend has offered to pay for after hearing what we had to go through to get those items for him." There was a gleam in his eye that told the others that wasn't exactly how it went down.

Gladio and Noctis exchanged knowing glances and followed Ignis to their room, Gladio falling behind a bit as he was trying to make it easier on his charge, but the moment they crossed over through the door of their room he didn't ask before scooping Prompto up in one fluid motion and carrying him the rest of the way to the bed where he carefully lied him down.

"Was that really necessary?" He asked in annoyance between breaths.

"Yeah, it was, I need a shower, and you were taking too long."

"I am so sorry the cripple kept you from your shower." Prompto replied playfully as Gladio made his way to the bathroom, rolling over to his right side. A chill ran through him as the rooms weren't heated since that was left to the residents to do. Ignis was aware of this and strode over to turn the thermostat up to a reasonable degree.

"That should be better." Ignis said, taking a seat on the other bed and leaning against the headboard. He let his eyes drift closed for a moment, basking in this instant of peace. Soon they heard the shower start up, and Prompto couldn't help but feeling a little jealous; the idea of a hot shower sounding perfect.

But for now he would settle for a warm bed, as he felt himself relax further into the sheets. He felt a change in the bed as someone lied down next to him. Given he could still hear the water running, he assumed it to be Noctis. And now that he listened, he thought he could hear a light snoring. Did Ignis fall asleep? "Look, about last night..." Noctis began and let himself trail off, no sure how to word things.

"Yeah." Prompto said sullenly, remembering what he was referring to. "It's alright." Prompto said without hearing an actual apology.

"No, it's not alright." He corrected, "I was out of line, and I shouldn't have done any of that." Noctis sigh out heavily, "You were only trying to help, and I messed up." There was a shift as Noctis leaned back, "I'm sorry."

Prompto didn't respond for a while as he let the words sink in. It had hurt at the time, but he had quickly pushed those feelings away, choosing not to dwell on them, but having Noctis try to make up for that truly meant a lot to him. He turned just his head to face him, "Thanks" Prompto said lowly, "For you know, for saving me. I think that alone makes up for it."

Feeling like a weight had been lifted, Noctis allowed himself to lie down completely now, fully enjoying the company around him. "It was no problem." He lied, folding his arms behind his head and letting slumber claim it's next victim.

* * *

 **I want to thank each and every person that takes the time to comment and like these stories, it truly means the world and motivates me to continue writing. ^-^**

 **So know, that thanks to all of you, I have quite the story planned for my next chapter series. C:**


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